Via Twitter about a month or so ago I came across Black Flag TV. After checking it out a bit, I learned that Black Flag TV is an online TV channel for independent film and television shows. I was immediately intrigued and decided I must learn more!
I decided to reach out to the man behind Black Flag TV, Sv Bell. Bell is an indie filmmaker himself, responsible for such films as Crawler and Rise of the Ghosts. Bell was kind enough to answer a few questions I had and tell us a bit more about Black Flag TV.
Christopher Coffel: What exactly is Black Flag TV?
Sv Bell: Black Flag TV is the broadcast arm to my studio's film production and distribution branch. A couple of years ago I was considering a video on demand channel to present the films I make, as well as those I am licensed to distribute. But I wanted something more original, something different than all the other video-on-demand services. Pretty much everyone is offering VOD. So I came up with this live TV broadcast, really old fashion, with a calendar and presentation showtimes, just like those typical television sets in your living room. Black Flag TV goes far beyond Youtube or VOD web sites - you really get to discover new films on the station, since audiences tend to just open the channel, and watch what's playing at that moment. That way, people actually discover films they had no idea existed, and obviously they would not be searching for them.
Black Flag TV is also the only viral TV station on the web. I searched everywhere, and nobody else is doing this. A live TV broadcast that you can post freely all over the web. A channel available for free, via a desktop application. People can use the station as content for their website. You can add the TV to your Facebook page. The system is built to be posted everywhere in a viral method. Very little people are watching Black Flag TV on my website, below 10% of the audience. All other web TVs are built to keep viewers on their webpage and flood them with banner ads and pop-up crap like that. Most ask you to register, open a free account and so on. Not Black Flag TV. What matters to me is to have as many people as possible to watch the programming, wherever they are located in the world.
CC: Where did the idea come from to start Black Flag TV? I'm assuming the name comes from punk rockers the Black Flag because of the site shares their DIY mentality?
SB: Haha! Wrong! When I was after a name for the company, since I was producing horror movies, some total entertainment stuff, I thought of Six Flags, the company behind entertainment and theme parks. Mixed with off the beaten path of standard Hollywood movies, I thought of the pirates' way of thinking, and came up with Black Flag Pictures. Nothing to do with the band or the well known insecticide brand. Though I do enjoy Black Flag's music, and giant insects as well.
CC: Send some Black Flag TV stickers over and I'll stick them to light posts all over Phoenix.
SB: Hehe thanks for the offer, but I'll leave stickers on light posts for music bands!
CC: Is Black Flag TV something people can only enjoy with the Internet and a computer or will this be available on mobile devices?
Sv Bell: Black Flag TV is the broadcast arm to my studio's film production and distribution branch. A couple of years ago I was considering a video on demand channel to present the films I make, as well as those I am licensed to distribute. But I wanted something more original, something different than all the other video-on-demand services. Pretty much everyone is offering VOD. So I came up with this live TV broadcast, really old fashion, with a calendar and presentation showtimes, just like those typical television sets in your living room. Black Flag TV goes far beyond Youtube or VOD web sites - you really get to discover new films on the station, since audiences tend to just open the channel, and watch what's playing at that moment. That way, people actually discover films they had no idea existed, and obviously they would not be searching for them.
Black Flag TV is also the only viral TV station on the web. I searched everywhere, and nobody else is doing this. A live TV broadcast that you can post freely all over the web. A channel available for free, via a desktop application. People can use the station as content for their website. You can add the TV to your Facebook page. The system is built to be posted everywhere in a viral method. Very little people are watching Black Flag TV on my website, below 10% of the audience. All other web TVs are built to keep viewers on their webpage and flood them with banner ads and pop-up crap like that. Most ask you to register, open a free account and so on. Not Black Flag TV. What matters to me is to have as many people as possible to watch the programming, wherever they are located in the world.
CC: Where did the idea come from to start Black Flag TV? I'm assuming the name comes from punk rockers the Black Flag because of the site shares their DIY mentality?
SB: Haha! Wrong! When I was after a name for the company, since I was producing horror movies, some total entertainment stuff, I thought of Six Flags, the company behind entertainment and theme parks. Mixed with off the beaten path of standard Hollywood movies, I thought of the pirates' way of thinking, and came up with Black Flag Pictures. Nothing to do with the band or the well known insecticide brand. Though I do enjoy Black Flag's music, and giant insects as well.
CC: Send some Black Flag TV stickers over and I'll stick them to light posts all over Phoenix.
SB: Hehe thanks for the offer, but I'll leave stickers on light posts for music bands!
CC: Is Black Flag TV something people can only enjoy with the Internet and a computer or will this be available on mobile devices?
SB: It sure is available on mobile devices, on Android via some applications and portals. An official iPhone application is also pending review at Apple, and should be included in their app store shortly. Once done, I will start working on an official Android app too. I develop everything myself so it takes a while. At this time, the station is also available via web-enabled TVs and set top boxes like Roku, Boxee and SmartTV.
CC: What has the response been to Black Flag TV? Are you getting a lot of positive feedback on it?
CC: What has the response been to Black Flag TV? Are you getting a lot of positive feedback on it?
SB: Absolutely! At this time Black Flag TV has some 30,000 viewers, mostly being located in Asia (33%). The others on the top 5 countries are Canada, USA, China and Germany. Indonesia and Japan citizen are very used to watch TV over the web, so Black Flag TV gets a lot of viewers from these territories.
CC: What are your plans going forward? Where do you see Black Flag TV down the road?
SB: I would really like to have the station available on all mobile platforms, and then I'd like to broadcast in a much higher quality. That means adding more powerful video routers, boosting data pipelines and bandwidth… And I also have other TV stations coming soon. One is ready to go live, and will broadcast exclusively to an iPhone application. I'm just waiting to have the Black Flag TV app out on the market, then I clone the app and adapt for the other TV channel. I have two more TV channels in the making right now. At this time, the broadcast server I built can accomodate up to four live TV streams. The next step is to monetize the channel. Right now, Black Flag Pictures invests a lot into Black Flag TV, and I do hope that one day, soon, the station will be able to break even and generate some revenues. That money will come back to my main production company, and will serve to fund and produce more exciting films, mine and also some of other filmmakers as well. That will end up on Black Flag TV. I'm an independent studio, to the bone. Haha!
Visit Black Flag TV at BlackFlag.tv today and watch great indie films!
Visit Black Flag TV at BlackFlag.tv today and watch great indie films!
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